Sotheby's via AP Images
- It is thought to date back to the Yongle Emperor’s reign, the third Ming Dynasty ruler between 1403-1424.
- Known as the ‘lotus bowl,’ it is one of only seven such existing bowls housed in museums worldwide.
- It will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York on March 17.
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A Connecticut man bought an extremely rare 15th century Chinese Ming Dynasty bowl worth up to $500,000 for just $35 at a yard sale.
The white and blue porcelain dish was bought in New Haven last year. Later the buyer contacted Sotheby’s for an evaluation, who revealed it was worth between $300,000 to $500,000, AP reported.
The email stood out to the auction house’s Chinese ceramics and art experts, Hang Yin and Angela McAteer, Senior Vice President of Sotheby’s and Head of the Chinese Works of Art Department.
She told AP: “It was immediately apparent to both of us that we were looking at something really very, very special. The style of painting, the shape of the bowl, even just the color of the blue is quite characteristic of that early, early 15th century period of porcelain.”
Known as the ‘lotus bowl’ because of its similarity to a lotus bud, it is thought to date back to the Yongle Emperor’s reign, the third ruler of the Ming Dynasty, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
The Yongle Emperor was in power between 1403-1424, a period noted for its distinctive porcelain techniques and is thought to have been made to be used in his court, Architectural Digest reported.
The 6-inch artifact is decorated with lotuses, chrysanthemums, peonies, and other flowers. It is one of only seven such existing bowls, CNN added.
There are two at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, two at museums in London, and one in the National Museum of Iran in Tehran, Sotheby's noted.
How the bowl ended up in the US is a mystery. McAteer told AP that it's possible it passed through generations of the same family, unaware of how unique an artifact is.
The bowl will be auctioned on March 17 in New York as part of the 'Highlights From Important Chinese Art' sale during Sotheby's 'Asia Week.